The invention relates to the use of a mass spectrometer with an arrangement for selective pretreatment of a gas mixture to be analysed in order to inspect containers transported on a conveyor system, with removal from each container of at least one gas sample the mass spectrum of which is determined and evaluated.
A mass spectrometer in which the gas mixture to be analysed is ionized by primary ions of specific internal energy is known from the document EP-B 290711.